Middlebourne resident Charlene Galluzzo will be honored as the Midwest District Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) at its national convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 16 -20. The Midwest District represents a six-state area from West Virginia to Michigan. The Midwest District Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance at the elementary school level and the ability to motivate today’s youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.

At the convention Galluzzo, a physical education teacher for over 10 years at Sistersville Elementary School, will vie with four other district winners for the “National Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award.” This award is sponsored by NASPE and School Specialty PE, formerly Sportime.

The National Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award recipient will be announced on Friday, March 19, at the NASPE Hall of Fame Banquet, which is sponsored by Playworld Systems, the leader in outdoor commercial playground equipment and the creator of ENERGI Total Body Fitness System. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Shannon Miller will be inducted that evening into the NASPE Hall of Fame.

According to the award-winning physical educator, “It is paramount that I stayed focused on teaching the concepts and skills that will give my students the tools to be fit, healthy, well-adjusted and efficient movers in the 21st century.”

Robin L. Daquilante, principal of Sistersville Elementary School, said, “An innovative and inventive teacher, Charlene Galluzzo is constantly on the lookout for a better way to do things. Her students are actively engaged in physical activity from the time class starts, unit it ends. Charlene closely monitors student performance and communicates that information to parents, staff members and her administrator. Her professionalism is above reproach.”

Emphasis is placed on students knowing the difference between physical education and physical activity. The warm up centers on components of fitness with a cardio component to begin the session and muscular strength, endurance and flexibility entwined. Dance, games and other activities are utilized to get the heart pumping and the body thumping. Skills are introduced in a large group setting but practiced in a less threatening setting such as individual, partner or small group.

Among her many professional affiliations are the National Association for Sport and Physical Education/American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NASPE/AAHPERD), the West Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (WVAHPERD), and the West Virginia Education Association. She is a Physical Best trainer/specialist, Jump Rope for Heart Coordinator and officer of the WVAHPERD. Galluzzo received her Bachelor of Science degree in health/physical education/and safety K-12 from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and her Master’s of Science degree in physical education from West Virginia University.

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs.

For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.